Brake apparatus for oil well pulling equipment



5619i. 1941- R. BRINNEMAN 2,254,563.

BRAKE APPARATUS FOR OIL WELL PULLING EQUIPMENT Filed April 27, 1939 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 iNvENToR RUSSELL BRINNEMAN Sept. 2, 1941. R. BRINNEMAN 2,254,563

BRAKE APPARATUS FOR OIL WELL PULLING EQUIPMENT- Filed April 2'7, 1939 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 IILIIIIII.

5 3 4 2 3 o/ w mw FIG. 2

INVENTOR RUSSELL BRINNEMAN I A re YS Patented Sept. 2, 1941 BRAKE APPARATUS FOR OIL WELL PULLING EQUIPMENT Russell Brinne'man, Bartlesville, kla., assignor to Phillips Petroleum Company, a corporation of Delaware Application April 27, 1939, Serial No. 270,468

2 Claims.

The present invention relatesto brake apparatus to be placed on pulling units used in pulling a bailer, casing, tubings, rods, etc., from a well hole and also for use in running a bailer, casing, tubing, rods, etc., into a well bore.

At the present time, bailers, rods, and tubing are pulled and run into the well by winches and lifting hoists, which winches and lifting hoists are generally, mounted on truck units and can be moved from well to well as needed. The mobile truck pulling units usually have some engine power means of some type, a cable drum on which the pulling cable is mounted and some type of brake mechanism to stop the tubing, rods or bailer being pulled or lowered into the well. The cable goes over the crown block in the derrick with the end being attached by suitable coupling means to the bailer, tubing or rods to be pulled or lowered into the well. The pulling unit, of which there are a number on the market, and as an example where the present unit may be used, the CardwelP' unit is mentioned. The pulling unit pulls up to the Well and the cable wound on the drum is run over the crown block on top of the derrick. The free end of the cable has suitable coupling members to, attach to the bailer, tubing or rods being pulled from the well. The engine of the pulling unit is started in operation and after the coupling has been made to the tubing, bailer or rods to be pulled, a clutch is actuated on the pulling unit which transmits the power from the engine tothe cable drum, thus rotating the drum which in turn winds the cable thereon and liftsthe bailer, tubing or rods from the well. The brake mechanism finds very little application in the lifting operation. Most of the braking is done by closing down the engine or by the clutch and by chucks on the derrick floor.

When it comes time to run tubing or rods into the well and particularly a bailer when bailing of a well is necessary, the brake mechanism is a very important item in the pulling unit. With tubing or rods, the respective sections must be coupled together and the lowering proceeds very slowly, and the brake mechanism is used mostly to hold the rod line or tubing or to regulate the rate at which it descends into the hole. The engine is not used, the 'clutch being. disengaged, and the weight of the tubing or rods falling by gravity is depended upon to lower the string and "the brake merely regulates the rate of descent and stops the descent after which chucks are used to hold the string until the next length of tubing or rods is coupled to the string. With 55 Figure 1 a diagrammatic view of a well derp a' bailer, the operation is somewhat different since it is necessary to send thebailer to the bottom of the hole. in order to conserve time, it is necessary to get the bailer to the bottom of the well as quickly as possible. The usual practice is to allow the bailer to fall. by gravity within the hole and start stopping the bailer within the last 200 feet of travel. This is done by disengaging the clutch from the engine and just allowing the cable drum to rotate.

At the present time, friction brakes are employed on the'cable drums. The brakes are of the usual brake shoe and lining type and by actuating the brake'shoe, the lining is placed'in frictional contact with a rotating shaft whichtends to stop the motion of the drum. The drums at present attain high rotative speeds which place quite a burden on the brake linings of the brake shoes. Instances have occurred where the brake linings have caught on fire, thus disintegrating the lining resulting in failure of the brakes. Serious accidents have occurred where the falling bailer has gained so much speed that the drum from which the cable is unwinding is unable to withstand the terrific speed and has flown ofi into space due to the failure of the friction brakes to function when needed. The brakes are necessarily large, which requires large brake linings. To reline and re-service brakes is a very expensive operation and one to be avoided if possible. r

, It is an object-of the present invention to provide a hydraulic braking means for the pulling unit used in well service operations.

It is a further object of the present invention to 'provide braking apparatus for well. servicing units .which is positive'inoperation, more economical in operation, creates less shock and impacts on the equipment when applied and possessed of safety means to prevent mis-application by an inexperienced operator.

It is still a further object of this invention to provide braking apparatus for well servicing units which ismore durable than present day equipment and less costly to keep in repair.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawings, forming'a part of this specification, and in which like numerals the same In wells 10,000 feet deep,

rick with the pulling unit mounted alongside the den-loin Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view of one- 2 half thebrake mechanism and a plan view of the other half,

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on the line my invention, the numeral Ill represents the derrick for the oil well The crown block l2 on top of the derrick has the cable l3 passing thereover with one end being attached to a member going into the well bore II and the other end attached to the drum H on the support l5. The support l5 may be stationary or may be the body of a truck so that the lifting mechanism may be portable. An engine I6 which may be of any design, is mounted on the support and connects through sprocket chain |6 to the gear I! mounted on one end of the shaft l8 extending outwardly from the drum l4. A clutch I9 is mounted between,the gear l1 and drum l4 so as to disengage the engine from the rotatable drum. The opposite end of the shaft I8 has the gear thereon which connects by sprocket chain 2| to the brake mechanism 22.

In operation the cable I3 is unwound from the drum l4, passed over crown block l2, brought down to the derrick floor where it is attached cylinders therein with cylinders 36 and 36', 31 and 31', and 36 and 36 being in the same straight line and directly opposite each other. The ends of each cylinder are closed by cover plates 39. Mounted to reciprocate in each cylinder are the pistons 40 and 40 in the cylinders 36 and 36', pistons 4| and 4| in the cylinders 31 and 31, and pistons 42 and 42 in the cylinders 36 and 38'. The pistons 40, and 40' are connected to the crank shaft 28 at 43 through suitable bearings 44. The pistons 4| and 4| and 42 and 42' are connected to the crankshaft 28 at 45 and 46 respectively through suitable.bearing members. The space or sump 41 is filled with oil as are the cylinders.

Figures 3 and 4 show the manifold cover 48 having therein the conduits 49, 50 and 5| which conduits connect with the ends of the cylinders 36 and 3B, 31 and 31', and 38 and 38 as more clearly shown in Figure 3 by means of passages 52 leading out from the end of each cylinder.

to either rods, tubing or a bailer by any known coupling means. If the tubing, rods or bailer is to be lifted, the engine I6 is set in operation which in turn, through sprocket chain l6 rotates gear H. The clutch I9 is then placed in engagement with gear through shaft I8 and the drum l4 thus rotates winding the cable |3 thereon. During this time the brake 22 is fully open which allows the drum to rotate freely. To stop the-winding of the cable on the drum, the engine can be slowed down to stop the drum, or the clutch l9 can be disengaged and the brake 22 set which will prevent the drum H from revolving in the reverse direction and allowing whatever is being raised from falling back into the well hole. In lowering into the well hole, the engine is not used, hence the clutch I9 is disengaged and the weight of the article being lowered is allowed to fall by the force of gravity into the hole, which in turn pulls the cable off the drum and rotates the same. To prevent the drum H from rotating at excessive speeds due from going into the hole.

The brake 22 is a hydraulic braking mechanism comprising a housing member 23 having end portions 24 and 25 to receive the ends 26 and 21 of crank shaft member 26. The end of the crank shaft 26 has a coupling member 29 thereon to connect directly into the shaft from the drum Each passage 49, 50 and 5| has the valve member 53 passing therethrough which valve is actuated by the handle or control 54. The valve member 53 has openings 55, 56 and 51 therein and when the valve member 53 is turned as shown in Figure 3, the passage 50 is open to flow with no restriction. If handle 54 is turned, the passage 56 will move out of the position shown in Figure 3 and offer a restriction to flow and continued turning will completely close off the passage.

Each piston member has a passage 58 bored longitudinally of the piston connecting with the chamber 59 formed in the end of the piston. The chamber 59 is closed by check valve 60 which is held closed by coil spring 6|. Each cylinder has a passage 62 in the housing 23 connecting the cylinder with the sump 41. The passage 62 is closed during the greater portion ofthe pistons movement but is opened for a short period of time when the piston reaches its .extreme rearward position. This allows oil from the sump to flow into the cylinder and replace any oil which may have leaked out of the cylinder.

In operation, the brake is connected into an organization such as shown in Figure l. The coupling means 29 on the brake is either connected directly to the shaft of the cable drum or is connected by means of the sprocket chain 2| as shown in Figure 1. By this means, as the shaft l8 of the drum |4 rotates, its rotation will cable drum I4.

H or through a sprocket chain 2| into the drum H. The housing 23 has support members 30 and 3| which present bearing surfaces 32 and '33 for the crank shaft passing therethrough. The ends 26 and 21 of the crank shaft are mounted in suitable bearings 34 and 35 in the end portions 24 and 25. The housing 23 has six As previously stated the cylinders and sump 41 are filled with an oil of about 10W viscosity. With the crank shaft 23 being rotated, pistons 40 and 40, 4| and 4|',' and 42 and 42' will reciprocate back and forth forcing the'oil through passages 52 into conduits 49, 50 and 5| in the manifold into the cylinder on the opposite side as they reciprocate back and forth. As long as the valve 53 is fully open, the oil or fluid will pass back and forth from the cylinders opposite each other and offer no resistance to the rate at which the pistons reciprocate. If the valve 53 is closed slightly by actuating handle 54, that is, have the passages 55, ;56 and 51 slightly restricted, the oil or fluid will not pass as freely of the drum. If the valve 53 is completely closed,

no oil will pass from cylinder -When excessive pressures devel p.

be compressed, opening valve 60 and oil flow will pass through passage I into the sump, thus re-.

vention, herewith shown described. is to be to cylinder. hence the pistons cannot reciprocate and the crank shaft cannot rotate. This in turn is transmitted to thecable drum and stops rotation of the same.

The oil in the sump l1 and cylinders also lubricates the pistons in the cylinders and the bearings of the crank shaft.- If any oil leaks out of the cylinders, the piston in its rearward move-' piston as a precaution against damage to equiptaken as a preferred example of the same, and thatvarlous changes in shape, size and arrangement of parts may be resortedto without departing from the spirit of my invention, or the scope of the subjoined claims. c Having thus described my invention, I claim: 1. A braking system for use with oil well pulling equipment comprising'a drum: a tool suspending cable wound on the drum; a hydraulic brake ineluding a housing. a crank shaft rotatable in ment from the sudden closing of the valve 53.

The spring 6| is so tensioned as to open when a pressure develops in the oil flow lines which exceeds the tensile strength of any of the equipment in the lifting unit. If the operator of the brake should suddenly close the valve when a baiier was travelling at an accelerated speed in the well, tremenduous pressures would build up immediately from the pistons being stopped almost immediately. This would be accompanied.

by terrific impact stresses throughout the whole equipment and would result in-the weakest member of the organization givingway. The spring 6! is tensioned usually at the known tensilestrength of the sprocket chains which are generally the weakest members in the organization.

lieving the extreme pressure conditions. As previously explained when the extreme conditions pass, the cylinders will again be filled from pass ge 82.

I! the brake receives any sustained use over a long period there is a possibility that the. lubri cating oil may carbonize from excessive heating of the oil. If the use of the brake is such that the oil may be subjected to excessive heat. then suitable cooling means may within the scope of the present invention.

It is tobe understood that the form of mythspring it will the housing and having one end extending there- 'through, a pair of oppositely arranged cylinders within the housing, a piston reciprocable in each cylinder and connected to the crank shaft. a

'passage for transmitting a liquid medium into the outer end of both cylinders, a valve for controlling the flow of liquid medium through the passage, a chamber within the housing, means responsive to fluid pressure in each cylinder for placing the chamber in communication with the passage, and means for placing the chamber in communication with the outer end of each cylinder upon a predetermined movement of each piston within its cylinder; and means adapted for connecting one end of the crank shaft to the drum, r

2. A braking system for use with oil well pulling equipment comprising a drum, a tool suspending cable wound on the drum, a housing member.. a crank shait rotatable in the housing, means. adapted for-connecting one end of the crank shaft to the drum, pairs of oppositely arranged cylinders in the housing, a piston 'reciprocable in each cylinder and connected tothe crank shaft, a manifold member, a chamber formed by the housing member and the manifold member, a passage in the manifold member connecting the outer ends of the pairs of oppositely arranged cylinders.

a liquid medium substantially filling the cylinders,

v the chamber and the passage in the manifold be provided and is member. means responsive to fluid pressure in each cylinder for placing the chamber in com-' munication withthe passage, and means for plac ing the chamber in communication with the outer end of each cylinder upon a predetermined movement of the corresponding piston.

RUSSELL pamnmm. 

